The Savannah tribune. [volume] (Savannah [Ga.]) 1876-1960, 1887-12-03

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they had been reared upon.
''Figgers don't lie" he said, cheer
fully, "Neelie, Wen have home"
This house was built for them and
they moved in. For another year they
pinched and saved, and pared down to
the bone. Then Seth began to ''figger"
again.
This time it was the baby.
He was as cheerful and light hearted
not the baby but Seth-as if the debt
on the house was not staring them in
the face He whistled and sung and
one night he sat down by Neelie and
showed her two long columns of credit
and debit.
1--WE been fggerin'," he said gaily,
''and that little shaver over there isn't
going to cost us a cent. I've put every
thing down that he can possibly need
for q year, and it only adds up $50
Why, l can make that by writing up
books in the evenings this winter"
Neelie smiled, but it was sad wan
smile. She began to see how Seth's
"fggerin'" came out-always deficit
instead of balance, but she hadn't the
heart to discourage him.
The baby grew and thrived. His
mother was his nurse She was also
chief cook and seamstress, as well as
mistress and housekeeper.
'Tve been tiggerin'," began Seth one
evening, "that the baby is the best
economist in the family. He keeps us
from going anywhere, so we can't spend
any money for outside pleasures if we
try. And we're ever so much happier
together, amt we, little mammal"
The little mamma looked very tired,
but she assented with her whole heart
to what Seth said. Here was her world.
These two were her treasures.
They had barely been able to pay the
interest on their home with all of Seth's
"fggerin', " when the baby was taken
very i'll and a doctor was called in.
Then followed dreadful siege Of
sickness. The doctor came three or four
times a day. The father and mother
were watchers and nurses themselves,
bnt at last the little fellow was saved
and the long, dreadful anxiety was over.
Then Seth brought out that we'll
known pencil and paper.
GIVE been figgerin," he said, but this
time more gravely than was his wont,
''and it seems to me now, if nuthing
happens, that we'll have the house and
lot paid for inside of five years-that
amt long, Neelie, is it2'
Neelie did not answer She was look
ing at the thin hand, oh, so much thin
ner than hers had ever been-that held
the fatal pencil in such a jaunty way.
Her eyes were full of tears.
"You're worn out, y he said kindly,
''but you needn't worry dear; the baby's
all right, and I've been iggerin'."
'Tve been figuring too" said NeeIie,
"and after this am going to be ac-
countant of the firm. You've lost your
place, Seth, at the store, but I've taken
it. Pm glad learned bookkeeping and
l need change of work. Sister Alice
is coming to take care of the house and
the baby, and you are to take vaca-
ton"
He gave her one stricken look, then
bowed his head on his arms and if he
wept it did honor to his manhood and
was naught to be ashamed of, since
it was Gods will that he should be laid
aside.
The doctor was at the bottom Of it
all. lie saw that worry and privation
and hope deferred, had sapped the very
depths of Seth Dakin's life, and that
now the end was very near.
Brave Neelie! true little wife! She
went down to the store every morning,
swallowing hard all the way to keep
down the sobs she had time to utter.
She Is there yet, clad in her widows
weeds, working daily with one strong,
resOlute purpose-to keep seth's home
for Seth's boy-and she will do it, never
doubt.
The end came happily to Seth. lie
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